Critical Hit and Earthbound Papas headline Orlando Nerd Fest 2014

Between August 7 and 11, Orlando Nerd Fest 2014 will be held at the Orlando Airport Marriott. Home to over 50 unique performances, the multi-day festival is aspiring to be the world’s largest video game culture-based music festival. The event is headlined by the bands of two of the biggest bands in the business, Critical Hit and Earthbound Papas.

On August 9 at 10 PM, Critical Hit will perform music from Skyrim, Mario, Zelda, Halo, Metal Gear Solid, World of Warcraft, Tetris, and more. Critical Hit is a video game music tribute band formed by Blizzard Entertainment composer Jason Hayes (World of Warcraft) and VG Market owner Michael Gluck (aka Piano Squall). Together with an all-star team of instrumentalists, they have performed acoustic interpretations of video game music spanning from Tetris (see video) to Modern Warfare 3 to Angry Birds at various live events. Recently nominated at the Annual Game Music Awards, their debut album Critical Hit: Volume One is currently available here.

Following the performance of Critical Hit, Nobuo Uematsu and the Earthbound Papas will take the stage to deliver another solid set list that includes exhilarating classic rock music from Final Fantasy and other popular Japanese games. Earthbound Papas is a six-man rock band led by Dog Ear Records’ Nobuo Uematsu (Final Fantasy). Considered a spiritual successor to The Black Mages, they have performed original music and covers of Uematsu’s work from Final Fantasy and beyond at concerts at home and abroad. Their second albumDancing Dadwas pre-released at the Fantasy Rock Fes 2013.

In addition to these bands, Orlando Nerd Fest 2014 will feature performances from fan projects such as The Megas, Random Encounter, Those Who Fight, and The Worldburglar. For further details and tickets, check the official website.

Posted on April 9, 2014 by Chris Greening. Last modified on April 9, 2014.

About the Author

Chris Greening I've contributed to websites related to game audio since 2002. In this time, I've reviewed over a thousand albums and interviewed hundreds of musicians across the world. As the founder and webmaster of VGMO -Video Game Music Online-, I hope to create a cutting-edge, journalistic resource for all those soundtrack enthusiasts out there. In the process, I would love to further cultivate my passion for music, writing, and generally building things. Please enjoy the site and don't hesitate to say hello!